Slavic Muslims in Kosovo victims of both sides in the conflic

Muslimani Slovenskog porekla na Kosovu zrtve obeju strana u sukobu

Sefko Alomerovic

1999/12/17

B92.net

The President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HOP) in Sandzak, Sefko Alomerovic, stated on Friday (December 17) that "Muslims-Bosniaks in Kosovo, although they did not participate in Serb-Albanian clashes, were victims of both sides," reports BETA. At a press conference in Belgrade, Alomerovic stated that about 40,000 Muslims left Kosovo in 1998 and 1999. Those who tried to return to their homes after the arrival of KFOR were murdered.

He said that in 1998 and 1999 "Serb forces burned down Bosniak houses in
Kosovo, and that after the arrival of KFOR members of the Kosovo Liberation Army started to abduct Muslims-Bosniaks, set their houses on fire and engage in other violent acts. In Pristina, out of 11,000 Muslims-Bosniaks before the war, only 70 families remain [i.e. about 400 people]. Since the arrival of KFOR 51 Muslim-Bosniak has been killed, including 11 women. In Kosovska Mitrovica, 92 Bosniak houses in the Bosniak Quarter have been set on fire, and another 60 Bosniak houses in the village of Vitomirica [near Pec] suffered the same fate," said Alomerovic.

He also said that in the south of Kosovo Muslims-Bosniaks are not pressured
to leave but to instead assimilate. As a proof of this Alomerovic quoted
threats to the citizens of Sredacka Zupa, Podgora and Gora [Gorans, Slavic,
Serb-language-speaking Muslims who consider themselves distinct from
Muslims-Bosniaks] that "even [their] dogs and cats will speak Albanian".
The Helsinki Committee, according to Alomerovic, has evidence and documents which prove that some Muslims-Bosniaks have been issued "permits to use Bosniak language" and charged for that "service".

The President of the Helsinki Committee for Sandzak added that Albanians
who visit markets in Rozaje and Plav [two municipalities in Montenegro
with Muslim majority, bordering Kosovo] "fanatically insist on speaking
the Albanian language. When the villagers from the Rozaje area respond
that they to not speak Albanian, they are told that they 'will have to
learn Albanian language, because this is Albanian land' or that they 'will
have to learn if they ever intend to go to Kosovo'," said Alomerovic. He
accused the president of the Party for Democratic Action (SDA) for Kosovo,
Numan Balic, of hiding the truth about violence against Muslims-Bosniaks.
Balic, who lived for seven years in Albania, is a member of Hashim Thaqi's
"provisional Kosovo government".

Alomerovic also talked about the status of Muslims in FR Yugoslavia during
the last eight years, since the beginning of the armed clashes in the
former Yugoslavia. He stated that in that period, there were six abductions,
51 citizens were abducted and murdered and another 38 were killed in their
homes, at work and in public spots. He stated that between 1991 and 1995,
60,000 to 80,000 Muslims left FRY because of "brutal repression and
violence".

Alomerovic emphasized that before the signing of the Dayton Agreement
Muslims in FRY were "abducted and murdered and their villages were burnt
and ethnically cleansed". The president of HOP in Sandzak said that "the
regime in Serbia has enacted five laws which discriminate against citizens
based on their ethnicity. These laws are the law about the trade with
real estate, the law about the administrative divisions in Serbia which
divided Sandzak into two counties, and the law about electoral districts
which in practice requires 40,000 to 80,000 votes per one representative
in the Serbian Parliament in Sandzak, while half that number is required
in the rest of Serbia," stated Alomerovic.

Alomerovic stressed that the status of Muslims in Montenegro is not
significantly different from their status in Serbia and that "the regime
in Montenegro is no different from the regime in Serbia in its treatment
of ethnic minorities, except in its skill of political manipulation". To
the question about the behavior of the Yugoslav Army with respect to Muslims
during the NATO bombardment, Alomerovic stated that "there was no violence. The Army behaved well and Bosniaks were not mobilized".